1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage rack comprising a plurality of supporting brackets stacked one above the other for supporting storage product carriers conveyable by means of an automatic filling and withdrawal apparatus comprising at least one filling and withdrawal opening for inserting and removing the storage product carriers, and having an indicating means arranged at a top of the filling and withdrawal opening for indicating storage locations of a storage product in the storage product carrier, wherein the indicating means comprises a plurality of discrete lighting elements.
In such storage racks, wherein diverse storage products are stocked, for filling or withdrawal of storage products, one storage product carrier is displaced into the filling and withdrawal opening. This filling and withdrawal opening is accessible to the operator. As soon as the storage product carrier is ready in the filling and withdrawal opening, the operator can place new storage products on the storage product carrier or remove them from the storage product carrier.
Modern storage racks of the initially mentioned type have a control which serves for inventory management and has a memory for memorizing which storage product is stocked in which storage product carrier. This is how the desired storage product carrier can be found by the operator. For quick and efficient finding of the desired storage product in a storage product carrier, it is known according to the prior art to mark the storage location of a storage product by means of a light marking.
2. Description of Related Art
DE 43 02 711 A1 discloses for this purpose a moveable light beam guide with which the storage product can be indicated. The light beam guide can be configured as a laser, the beam of which can be redirected by a pivotable mirror and guided to the desired location. Further it is disclosed to realize the light beam guide by means of a conventional light source having its light focused.
EP 1 038 804 A1 describes an indicating apparatus on a storage rack, the storage product carriers of which are subdivided into storage product rows. As soon as the storage product carrier is displaced into the filling and withdrawal opening, one of the storage product rows is optically marked by means of a light strip arranged at the side of the storage product carrier. The light source used in the light strip can be an LED, in particular.
Moreover, DE 38 09 520 C1 teaches an indicating means for a computer-controlled paternoster storage wherein a plurality of lighting elements are arranged above the filling and withdrawal opening, which can mark possible storage locations in a storage product carrier displaced into the filling and withdrawal opening.